Redeeming AA Miles on Qantas

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Chris_Leo

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I have one last question for tonight...

I've been reviewing the AA website and the AAdvantage Participant Airline Award Chart. Qantas is recognized as one of the AAdvantage Participant Airlines.

According to the above chart, you need 125,000 AA miles to purchase a flight from North America to South Pacific (which includes Australia) on business class, or alternatively 145,000 AA miles to purchase a first class seat on the same route.

Have I interpreted the chart correctly? Also, does this mean i can choose any airline that is an AAdvantage Participant Airline to fly from North America to Australia (including Qantas)?

If the above is true, then the AA program sure beats the redemption awards offered by the QFF program.

Thanks in advance
Chris
 
QF doesnt compare...

notice that a return trip from anywhere in australia to NZ will cost you 20K points for a Y seat - not bad value there...
 
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AA doesn't offer one-way awards.

The AA Scheme is harder to earn points on certain fare types on Qantas, and also Cathay and some other airlines.

You can't upgrade Qantas flights with AA points.

The list goes on...

Overall I like the AA scheme, and I do post points towards the scheme. I just don't believe it is the "one size fits all" perfect match for everyone that others make it out to be.

Be aware. Be informed and make your own mind up...
 
The AA scheme suits me as I get the bonus points as an Exp Plat, and I fly international in "H" or "B" class fares which give me heaps of Miles & Points.

I also like how flexible they are in finding you an award flight.

Being Emerald also means full F lounge access, which is a very nice perk.

And to top things off, you get the Evips.. really valuable.

The only downside that I can see is I can't preallocate exit row seats on QF international flights.

I can live with that.
Please read Dave Nobles postings on AA to see how it can benefit you.
 
Chris_Leo said:
According to the above chart, you need 125,000 AA miles to purchase a flight from North America to South Pacific (which includes Australia) on business class, or alternatively 145,000 AA miles to purchase a first class seat on the same route.

Have I interpreted the chart correctly? Also, does this mean i can choose any airline that is an AAdvantage Participant Airline to fly from North America to Australia (including Qantas)?

If the above is true, then the AA program sure beats the redemption awards offered by the QFF program.
This is what helped me make the decision to switch my points to AA. I can get a return F class SYD-LHR for 145k and I'm guessing about $100 in taxes or 384k QFF points with over $500 in taxes. I've almost got my QFF account down to 0 by using my points for upgrades - no taxes on them.

I don't think I'll be able to make AA EXP as easily as QF Platinum but I can live with that.
 
AA works well for me as I fly mostly in J (almost exclusively) and I travel to the US a fair bit - so I might actually get to use my eVIPs. The problems for me ar ethe lack of credit card earn at good rates (not that big as I earn way more FF points than CC points) and the lack of points to upgrade QF.

The big thing though is that the program opens up more award opportunities as if you need to get to LAX you can go via HKG for the same points if that is the only place that there are seats :)
 
Mal said:
AA doesn't offer one-way awards.

The AA Scheme is harder to earn points on certain fare types on Qantas, and also Cathay and some other airlines.

You can't upgrade Qantas flights with AA points.

The list goes on...

Overall I like the AA scheme, and I do post points towards the scheme. I just don't believe it is the "one size fits all" perfect match for everyone that others make it out to be.

Be aware. Be informed and make your own mind up...

Actually they do offer one way OW awards. From most places in the USA to Australia can be done for 80k oneway using a OneWorld award. It does however require the use of 2 OW carriers so could do CX to HKG and QF to Australia or JL to NRT and QF to Australia for example. The OW awards can be very good value in some cases. The award table is at "+titleText+"


I do agree that there are some cases where QF awards can be cheaper, such as one way LHR-TIP but they are the exception rather than then rule

Since this is to do with AAdvantage awards rather than QFF, I think that the AAdvantage forum would be a better location for this thread

Dave
 
As a curiosity, is it easier, harder or much the same to get status on AAdvantage vs. QFF?
Is there any differences in what that status gives you?
 
SeaWolf said:
As a curiosity, is it easier, harder or much the same to get status on AAdvantage vs. QFF?
Is there any differences in what that status gives you?
It depends completely on what type of fares and flight you purchase. Some fare types and flight types make QF status easier (such as a single DONE4 can earn QF Platinum). Some fare types are better for AA (such as international B fares).
 
SeaWolf said:
Is there any differences in what that status gives you?
If you travel a lot domestically in the US, then QF SG/WP will give you AC access in the US when flying AA. AAdvantage Plat/EXP will not.
 
SeaWolf said:
Is there any differences in what that status gives you?
The difference lies in 'home carrier' benefits which are over and above the general oneworld emerald benefits. Naturally each airline will prioritise its own elites over other oneworld elites. For example WP will open up the 'better' seats on QF (like row 16 on 744s), whilst EXP gives you a whole bunch of upgrade certificates to use on AA plus complimentary upgrades on domestic flights from any fare class where there's space available. There are a few other examples but you get my drift...

Other than the access to ACs that Shano pointed out (which is identical to lounge access policies of US and UA - dont know about the Skyteam carriers), the general oneworld emerald benefits are pretty much the same.
 
SeaWolf said:
As a curiosity, is it easier, harder or much the same to get status on AAdvantage vs. QFF?
Is there any differences in what that status gives you?
It can be a lot less expensive to rack up those QF SC's when flying in the US when compared to flying in Oz, certainly when travelling in front cabins. On the FT AAdvantage forum it has been reported that QF WP can be earned on flights with a total cost of the bookings for as little as USD1300, although details are sketchy. Of course, since earlier this year one still needs to travel on the 4 qualifying QF flight numbers in any event.
 
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SeaWolf said:
As a curiosity, is it easier, harder or much the same to get status on AAdvantage vs. QFF?
Is there any differences in what that status gives you?

For my personal experience status is much harder on AA than QF. QF reward premium PAX mch more highly than AA relative to each other. The status barometer is the same for fully Y, J and F - unlike QF who give multiples of status earning for J/F - hence why its taking me so long to hit EXP - I dont fly often (one month on one off) but when I fly I fly big :) Sadly this then doesnt get me statused that much quicker. if I had stuck with QF rather than AA I would be WP almost 5 times over based on the current year's planned travel...

One key difference (aside from the lounge access) is the extra weight allowance when flying on QF metal for QF WP/SG. Not a deal breaker for me at the moment as I fly J/F (only F occasionally) so get plenty of luggage allowance already :)
 
Thought I'd run some numbers and see what I came out with.
Assuming I'm flying back and forth between PER-SYD (2041mi) in Business, I'd earn 80 SCs on QF each time. It would take me 17.5 flights to get to Plat. Doing the same thing on AA I'd get 1.5 qpoints per mile, being 3061.5. So at the point I become Plat on QF I've got 53576.25 qpoints and have just become Plat on AA. Though obviously AA Plat = QF Gold. So to get to the same level on AA I've got to make pretty much all those flight over again before I get there.

So I guess QF's status program is easier to get to than AA's.
The two other questions I have are:
1) AA require 4 segments on their metal, but I hear this isn't enforced, is that right?
2) Looking at the AA guides it says:
Benefits on Sapphire status include access on the day of travel to the Business Class lounges of all oneWorld airlines when you are travelling internationally
Does that mean no access to QF's domestic lounges? Or are they only talking about Admiral Club?
 
SeaWolf said:
Thought I'd run some numbers and see what I came out with.
Assuming I'm flying back and forth between PER-SYD (2041mi) in Business, I'd earn 80 SCs on QF each time. It would take me 17.5 flights to get to Plat. Doing the same thing on AA I'd get 1.5 qpoints per mile, being 3061.5. So at the point I become Plat on QF I've got 53576.25 qpoints and have just become Plat on AA. Though obviously AA Plat = QF Gold. So to get to the same level on AA I've got to make pretty much all those flight over again before I get there.

So I guess QF's status program is easier to get to than AA's.
The two other questions I have are:
1) AA require 4 segments on their metal, but I hear this isn't enforced, is that right?
2) Looking at the AA guides it says: Does that mean no access to QF's domestic lounges? Or are they only talking about Admiral Club?

Indeed, you would only have Attained Platinum on AA, however your mileage earning as an AA PLT will be the same as a QF Platinum member and you will have the benefit of lower redemption costs

Indeed the 4 AA flights are not being enforced

You will get lounge access except when doing Domestic travel in the USA, so you are fine for the Qantas Lounges

Dave
 
The other big difference between AA and QF is that AA will give a much "larger" (Qpoint) benefit for long hual flights in economy if you are flying in a high(er) fare class.

My recent trip SIN-LHR-Canada in WT+ (BA) earned more than 30K AA Qpoints. More than enought for AA Gold. But it would have earned only about 280 SC for QF - still short of QF Silver renewal.

I considered the BA/QF WT+ special fare to Europe which permits a return via NA or SA. The total cost exPER was about the same. But while the QF economy seats book into B class (return via NA) I opted for the guaranteed and slightly better WT+ seat. And the differences in op-up possibilities between BA and QF.

Pity I don't have a DONEx scheduled before the end of the year. EXP qualification would be easy....... But hopefully I will find the 4.5K Qpoints I still need to requalify AA Plat.

Happy wandering

Fred
 
Dave Noble said:
IYou will get lounge access except when doing Domestic travel in the USA, so you are fine for the Qantas Lounges

Dave

Here is a n interesting one for you - I will hit EXP during my trip to the US. I am there for a few days (long enough for points to post from the qualifying flights) . I then have my "extended" routing home - JFK-DFW-LAX-JFK-NRT :) The flights are roughly:

29 Jul

11:20 JFK-DFW AA2011
16:35 DFW-LAX AA2459
21:30 LAX-JFK AA10

30 Jul

13:30 JFK-NRT JL5

Just wondering what my lounge access will be in JFK on my first flight. I am not technically on a same day itinerary (28 hours from check in until my int'l flight) so will I get lounge access based on my itinerary or should I just rely on my QF SG card? I am assuming that I will get F access in DFW due to same day itinerary. I wont however have my BP for onward flights as I will be leaving luggage at JFK on 29 Jul before the JFK-DFW-LAX-JFK mileage run.

Thoughts?
 
simongr said:
Here is a n interesting one for you - I will hit EXP during my trip to the US. I am there for a few days (long enough for points to post from the qualifying flights) . I then have my "extended" routing home - JFK-DFW-LAX-JFK-NRT :) The flights are roughly:

29 Jul

11:20 JFK-DFW AA2011
16:35 DFW-LAX AA2459
21:30 LAX-JFK AA10

30 Jul

13:30 JFK-NRT JL5

Just wondering what my lounge access will be in JFK on my first flight. I am not technically on a same day itinerary (28 hours from check in until my int'l flight) so will I get lounge access based on my itinerary or should I just rely on my QF SG card? I am assuming that I will get F access in DFW due to same day itinerary. I wont however have my BP for onward flights as I will be leaving luggage at JFK on 29 Jul before the JFK-DFW-LAX-JFK mileage run.

Thoughts?

Im confused on the logic. If you are flying DFW-LAX on the 29th and JFK-NRT on the 30th , then that seems like 2 different calendar days.

Since there is no AA Flounge in DFW anyway, I would just use the QF card and use the AC rather than spend time trying to get in based on an international itinerary. That trip looks like a hellish way to spend a day to me

Dave
 
Ahh - ddint realise about the F lounge lack at DFW. It's an interesting way to spend a day I admit. At least by the time i get on the JL5 flight I will be sufficiently exhausted to sleep most of the way home and hopefully by the time I do get home I might even be slightly refreshed from all the sleep...
 
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